Small Ruminant value chain Transformation in Ethiopia (SmaRT Ethiopia)Workshop on developing intervention packages for small ruminant value chain target sites

Addis Ababa, 19-20 April 2017

Background

The workshop brought together nearly forty participants from a range of institutions (including SARI, ARARI, Haromaya University, FAO, ATA and so on) for two consecutive days. The workshop is designed to assess and evaluate 28 Small ruminant value chain transformation interventions that have been tested by SmaRT project. By the end of the workshop, participants selected prioritized and planned site-specific interventions.

SmaRT Ethiopia project is established as part of the CGIAR Research Program (CRP) Livestock & Fish in 2012. Currently, it is under CRP Livestock Agri-Food Systems (2017-2019) in the Flagship Livestock Livelihoods and Agri-food Systems (LLAFS). In Ethiopia, sheep and goat meat were selected as a target, and ICARDA is leading sheep and goat meat value chain transformation at target sites in Ethiopia jointly implemented with ILRI, NARES and Swedish Agricultural University (SLU).
IFAD co-founded the SR VCT in Ethiopia with a country grant for ICARDA, ILRI, and NARS (April 2015 – April 2018)

Products

SmaRT Ethiopia interventions

Blog post

Photos

Objectives

1. Share and review the results from testing best-bet interventions developed by the project and project partners during the last five years
2. Design packages of technology and institutional interventions for each target site.

Agenda

Day 1: 19 April 2017 – to share and validate the best-bet interventions

Time	Activity	Notes
0800	Registration
0830	Welcomes Overview: SmaRT Ethiopia project overview and activities Introduction: Workshop aims and objectives	Barbara Rischkowsky
0915	Participant introductions and mapping interests	Facilitator
0945	Introducing the review and assessment exercise Poster review	Facilitator
1000	Break
1030	Best-bet interventions for SR value chain transformation: Review, validation, assessment ‘matchmaking’ exercise	All
1300	Lunch
1400	Best-bet interventions for SR value chain transformation: Stocktaking exercise
1530	Break
1600	Best-bet interventions for SR value chain transformation: Synthesis
1700 1730	Quick feedback Close
1740	Reception

Day 2: 20 April 2017 – to design intervention packages

Time	Activity	Notes
0830	Recap day 1 and plans day 2	Facilitator
0900	Revisiting results of the day 1 review and assessment exercise
0930	From interventions to packages: Introducing the site targeting exercise	Facilitator
1000	Break
1030	Best-bet intervention packages for SR value chain transformation sites: targeting exercise	All
1300	Lunch
1400	Best-bet intervention packages for SR value chain transformation sites: stocktaking exercise
1530	Break
1600	Best-bet intervention packages for SR value chain transformation: Directions, priorities, actions
1730	Close

Presentation

Update on the sheep and goat meat value chain transformation in Ethiopia project

List of participants

Meeting Notes

Opening by Barbara Rischkowsky (BR)

SmaRT Ethiopia program started in 2012. The program was first under the CG CRP Livestock and fish but now it is under the CRP livestock and food Systems (2017-2019) in the Flagship Livestock Livelihoods and Agri-food Systems (LLAFS)
SmaRT Ethiopia project is a joint program between the cgiar and the national system. Till date, there is a number of contribution and collaboration with a range of different partners. The project is also co-funded by IFAD, and ICARD is leading the transformation of small ruminant value chain development.
We wanted to have a continues intervention since VC development requires a continuous effort and time as it cannot be done in three years or so
We want to transform the value chain into more business oriented kind of approach
It is your intervention and should be incorporated into your plans
It really fits into the national agenda since the government of Ethiopia has given priority to livestock
Today we are going to evaluate and assess the twenty-eight best-bet technologies and interventions
Specific projects were designed to integrate women despite the fact the sector is dominated by male.
Now we are at the stage of developing business models and testing of integrated packages of proven technologies and interventions.
The nature of the project requires collaboration as it is a multi- disciplinary
Hopes to bring together different insights from this workshop
The interventions should be continues as value chain development requires time and continuous effort as it cannot be done within three years or so
These interventions are your interventions and need to be incorporated into your plans
It will not be difficult to incorporate into the plan since livestock is a priority area for the government of Ethiopia as well (National agenda).

Introducing the review and assessment exercise poster review – By Peter Ballantine (PB)

Six 'marketplaces' were organized – Genetics and reproduction, animal health, animal feeding, markets, gender, processing and food safety. In the 'marketplace' the scientists (intervention champions) sale site- specific interventions by explaining the interventions and their usefulness
There were ten teams of ‘buyers’ – Abergele- wag, abergelle-Tanqua, Atsbi, Bonga, Doyogena, horro, menz, shinille, yabello and a national team comprising CBE, ATA,
‘Buyers’ will be evaluating all the twenty-eight interventions whether they are ready for scaling out or not but when they buy they buy interventions that will be fitting the area they are coming from. In the process, they ask specific question to the sellers
Each team has a shopping basket to keep the interventions that will be fitting to the area they come from
When they pick the intervention they also pick a card to put their insights why they have picked the specific intervention
The cards will help to work on plans for the intervention at least for the sites
Names are given to each team
There are site posters to give the general picture what the specific sites need
Participants go around and visit the posters that state challenges in the value chain development of small ruminants, research and development best-bet

Invervention overall scoring exercise by PB
The teams scored each and every intervention based on readiness to scale out, suitability to the site and whether to include in plans or not.

Table 1. Result from intervention summary scoring sheet – filled by groups
Scores are the total ranking of each criteria by all scoring groups, divided by the number of scoring groups

Name of intervention	Readiness to scale Rank 1 to 3 3=ready now 2=ready after adaptation 1=needs to be tested still	Suitability to site: Rank 1 to 3 3=perfectly suited 2=can be adapted 1=not fitting	Include in team plan: Yes / Maybe / Unlikely
1 - Better hygienic practices improves Ethiopian small ruminant meat quality	1.62	1.75	4 1 3
2 - Improving the reproductive performance of small ruminants	2.55	2.66	9
3 - Understand, prevent and control Anthrax	1.88	2.11	3 4 2
4 - Community-based breeding programs enhance livelihoods and deliver genetic gains	2.5	3	8 1
5 - Coenurosis control - break the cycle	2.5	2	5 2 2
6 - Dairy cultures: an ingredient to improve the quality of Ethiopian traditional dairy products	2	2.1	5 2 2
7 - Gender matters in small ruminant value chain transformation in Ethiopia	2.6	2.88	6 2
8 - Tapping the knowledge of women in small ruminant disease surveillance and management	2.75	2.88	7 1 0
9 - Assessing and strengthening the gender capacities of value chain actors and partners in Ethiopia	2.37	2.3	7 2 0
10 – Community-based gastro-intestinal tract parasite control in small ruminants	2.5	2.55	9 0 0
11 - Integrated herd health approach to reduce impact of respiratory diseases	2.25	2.88	9 0 0
12 - Reducing lamb and kid mortality	2.5	2.5	8 0 1
13 - Milk fat separation: a technology to accelerate butter production and reduce labour	2.31	2.14	5 1 1
14 - Pasteurization: a technique to improve Ethiopian traditional dairy products	2.5	2.7	6 1 1
15 - Simple smokers: a technology to improve Ethiopian traditional dairy products	2.33	2.57	5 2 0
16 - Thermometers: to improve Ethiopian traditional dairy products	2	2.33	3 2 2
17 - Responsible use of antimicrobials in small ruminants	2.1	2.33	6 2 1
18 - Training women in small ruminant husbandry and health	2.87	2.88	9 0 0
19 - Select effective fasciolicides to control sheep liverfluke	2.57	2.62	6 1 1
20 - Urea treatment to improve the nutritive value of crop residues	2.1	2.25	5 1 2
21 - Pulse crops with food-feed traits to support livestock productivity	2.25	2.33	6 2 1
22 - Enhanced sheep fattening with modified feeding and management practices	2.62	2.55	7 1 1
23 - Desho grass to feed livestock and mid to high altitudes	2.17	2	1 3 4
24 - Building improved market facilities	2.25	2.44	8 1 0
25 - Smart marketing along small ruminant value chains	2.37	2.33	6 2
26 - Field solution for artificial insemination of sheep	2.62	2.77	7 2 0
27 - Ultrasound to diagnose pregnancy and reproductive disorders in small ruminants	2.87	2.77	8 1 0
28 - Better hygienic milking practices improve goat milk quality	2.57	2.11	3 2 2

Views on scores and general comments on the readiness and suitability of interventions for site

PB: For some reason, scores are getting higher as we go lower on the list. Many of the interventions are scored ready for scaling out but the scientists have the doubt if they are ready to be scaled out.
BW: The interventions are presented as convincing and this has affected the judgments of participants to certain extent
Team Abergele Wag: Some of the areas such as Community-based animal breeding programs have a number of aspects or subsystems to be considered such feeding, health and so on. Therefore, we have to take in most of the interventions listed as packages. Currently, the interventions are cut into pieces. Instead, they should have been as a package. There for some needs to be bundled to be together
AH: we got high scores in some of them cause many of the participants in this workshop has already being involved in the trial on the field and they are very much familiar with the specific interventions, and also some of the similar interventions should be packaged together
BR: The packages should come together when we take it to the community levels. All technologies should reach as a package even if tested one by one

Questions from audiences
Q: do we leave some of the technology out of the package of we still try to keep them all?
A: If some of the technologies do not make it into the package we will leave them but some are still under evaluation. And also at some stage we will have to prioritize among the technologies as it is not possible to take in all the technologies.
Q: what is the size of the package?
A: Some of the technology need only more time than budget. If the research centres allocates budget the package will be bigger but if not we have to keep it smaller

Comment on the process by participants:

Good approach as it is new to me I am very much interested
Got a lot of information as a seller from the buyers’ side. It is very interactive and it is not very common in the other workshops
Planning time is ideal since Tigray region is preparing a development plan to transform the Tekeze River. So we can adapt some of the interventions with the budget from the government as long as we prove that the interventions are useful.
The diversity of the participants is very good (from farmer to scientists and researcher) and the items presented for us are also very diverse. All the areas that are raised have great importance as it includes gender, health, feeds etc.

Day 2

The second day was all about packaging of site-specific interventions, and also planning for one year (April 17- 18)
Groups presented the interventions they have selected and responded to questions and also took comments from participants. They have also selected the discipline/area they need assistance on and a scientist is assigned to support them in the planning process.

Group outcomes:

Team Shinille

Objective - Empower women through market-oriented dairy (Goat) milk production
The have selected and packaged 15 of the interventions under health, feeds, gender, market, and dairy technologies.
They said that most of the technologies are accepted to fit shinnile, however, emphasized on market-oriented approaches as marketing is the way of life in the area
Many gender interventions are also selected since women should be incorporated in order to supply larger quantities of products to the market
We think that it can achievable in the 12 months’ time
1,000,000 budget

Comment BR: we will have a look and at them come with comments. It is not only the plan but needs more follow up during implementation arrangements. Shinille needs more follow-up than other sites

Team Abergelle Tarqua

Objective - Improving Income Generation Capacity and Product Diversification of Small Farm Households
We have not selected the market-related intervention that is presented, however, it would have been great to have market interventions that can help us to establish market linkages
780,000 budgets

Team Horro

Have five interventions packages (capacity building, breeding, feeding, disease prevention /control and gender)
The objectives include enhancing the capacity of sheep producers and different actors in the value chain in terms of husbandry, health, and cross-cutting issues (Gender); Improving productivity of Horro sheep through selective breeding, efficient use of rams and use of reproduction technologies; Improving productivity of Horro sheep through selective breeding, efficient use of rams and use of reproductive technologies; to improve production performance of sheep through control and prevention of disease risks; and provide access to improved market facilities and enhance farmers’ selling power
The packages cannot be linked/integrated

Team Doyogena

Objective – improving community-based breeding program through better management (health, feeding, and breeding)
Have five packages (gender, health, feed, marketing, and breeding)
Time allocation for the different activities, fair women participation, and market demand fluctuation is considered as sustainability limitations
700,000 budgets

Team Atsbi

Objective- improving the productivity and quality of sheep meat for

Team Menz

One package with 7 interventions
Objective is to enhance the productivity of menz through integrated community-based breeding via feeding, health and market interventions

General observations

Very good plans with good details that will help us and it is very commendable (barbara)
Every team has incorporated gender which is of great importance (wolle)
AI implementation needs to be carefully planned and should be based on expected results
It is important to focus on ostra.. and natural mating since in AI we need efficient AI technicians. We have to be very careful till our technicians develop their skills (Abergele tanq)
CBbreding are very successful is some places and not in other. My suggestion is connecting CBB to marketing will be helpful to encourage smallholder farmers. If there is a profit farmer will be encouraged and no emphasis will be needed for training ….(Bonga) there a need to work with pastoralists and establish CBB
We are not promoting AI when we need for out scaling genetics but we are not doing it for the sake of AI

National Team

looked at the interventions from the national and economic perspective
We have to take few reassures for an optimum result which is the profit
All the interventions are of great importance and needs to be customized to the local situation
As more productive the community and the smallholder HH it is a good economy at the national level
Our interventions should consider time for fast returns

Closing By BR

The factsheets will be put together
Full documentations will be shared
Getting the plans completely ready
We will continue testing the ones still ongoing but still can be part of the package
Yabello site will be included soon
With the AI, we always look for the more skilled and committed technicians
Thank you so much for all the good work

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